Roses are red and thorns are sharp...

I’m not really fond of roses. Flowers like sampaguita, orchid, sunflower, magnolia, etc. specially golden showers and dragon fruit flowers got  a whole lot of my admiration, but roses have not, ever since, for reasons that it is not fragrant and I don’t find it really attractive with its thorns. I was just wondering why on many occasions roses were given as token of endearment, and became the flower that symbolizes love. I was thinking that there are many other flowers more beautiful than rose.  What made it so special?

Ang tawag sa aking mother-in-law sa aming church ay flower girl. Iyon ang kanyang katungkulan, dahil every Sunday ay gumagawa siya ng bouquet para sa altar, at hindi kami bumibili ng mga flowers, kinukuha niya ang mga kailangan niyang bulaklak at dahon sa paligid-ligid, na garden ng pamilya, iba-ibang bulaklak naiipon niya at ginagawa para sa altar, pero wala lagi isa mang rose. Bakit nga ba wala pala kaming tanim isa mang rose?

On many occasions ay tumatanggap kami ng roses, sa mga programs sa church, school and community, pag Mother’s Day, Teacher’s Day, at iba-iba pang okasyon. Of course I appreciate the gesture very much if I am given a rose (yes the gesture and not the rose itself).

Just recently, one of the organizations where I belong had a great dilemma, to terminate a member whom we found will ruin our system, or retain his membership. Actually  it is not really a dilemma, if we will be consistent with our rules and policies, and with the principles why our organization was established in the first place. Any member who violates this has no place in our system. No dilemma at all if the decision is based on rationale and no compromise. 

In making tough decisions specially with fellow people, it is a culture of Filipinos that we tend to involve our compassion in whatever decision we make, and that is where the dilemma lies, and compromise set in (which should not be, of course).  

Now I understand why the rose is the flower that symbolizes love. It is the very thorn that made it so special, it represents the unacceptable and unlovable part of others, for when we love anybody, we also accept and love the unacceptable in them.   

And so, roses are red and thorns are sharp. When it is given to you, the giver is expressing that he is accepting even the unlovable in you,  or vice-versa.  

Now I'm beginning to appreciate the rose.   

But, no matter how I'm beginning to like it now, sad to say that the rose is not for everybody. 

It is not for organizations. No thorns please...sorry!